I had two books to mail today. I printed both wrappers with postage, including DC, and took the to the post office. There wasn't a line, so I asked the postal worker to see how much the exact same service would be if I had just purchased the postage at the post office. He weighed (it was a few ounces heavier than what PBS had estimated), and the postage came out higher. I asked how much I owed, and he said nothing. He told me it would be delivered just fine with the amount that was printed by PBS as they get a discount on postage.

I didn't know I was saving money by printing postage at home; I thought I was just being lazy. Is that correct? Please don't burst my bubble and tell me the postal worker was a Newbie too

Sorta. The postage rates are the same - media mail is the same rate online and at the PO BUT if you get delivery confirmation, that's cheaper online (PBS or anywhere else - I use Paypal). It's 19 cents online, and I think 80 cents at the PO window. Maybe that's what he was referring to?

Actually online postage like PBS postage IS discounted up to a certain rate for first class packages. Over the rates below, there is no discount. Not sure what he would have been talking about when he was saying something that was a few ounces more was discounted on PBS. Media Mail is priced per pound, but it is not discounted so if his meter showed it cost more, it would.

Melanie - answered a question that I really didn't have - but a couple of weeks ago took a book to the PO - it went first class and I used PBS DC, but not PBS postage. I'm sure I paid PBS the $.27 that they take, but there was no $.19 due at the PO. As I go often, and know the clerks, we double and even triple checked it, but PO didn't show any postage due for the DC, so that must be the reason. I'm not a Gold Key member or anything, and can't remember it ever happening before or since. Thanks. Pat

There were some changes earlier this year (about the time of postage increase?) that affected the DC and some postage rates...IIRC mostly as regards to First Class printed postage with DC. I'm kinda thinking the DC is free with First Class PP, but it's not as trackable?

I also buy PBS DC and counter postage. But my USPS staff is so excellent that I don't check their work any more...and can't remember if we are supposed to be charged the DC at the counter? Gold Key wouldn't be involved as it's a PBS designation and the postage rates are set by USPS (except for the PBS portion we pay here onsite).

That is a different aspect of the postal changes Pat. PBS-DC only with First Class is free now. It is not free with Media Mail and you would be charged the fee. The PBS-DC only should still be trackable I believe, it is the free DC on media mail with the PBS postage that will not be trackable on usps.com (it is the DC numbers that start with 9542 that are not trackable on usps, only PBS).

The special link is really only needed for instances like Mail to a Friend or Games where you are not the receiver or the sender of the package. Otherwise all of the information shown in that link will be right on your main My Account page on the transaction's Details button. That is why the link isn't generally published and the Games mods are the ones who had it, the general membership didn't really need it since they can find the information on their account already.

If you buy postage online from the post office it's cheaper too. If you look up a mailing price it will give you two columns, one for buying postage online and one for buying it at the p.o. Unfortunately they don't do media mail directly from their site.

You also have to consider the weight of the books and whether the system has it correct or not. I've seen it be off significantly when I checked because the postage didn't seem right. That will give you a higher/lower price too.